Continuous Calibration of Microring Weights for Analog Optical Networks

Alexander N. Tait, Thomas Ferreira De Lima, Mitchell A. Nahmias, Bhavin J. Shastri, Paul R. Prucnal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

Continuously configurable weighted addition is a key function for multivariate analog signal processing. The wavelength-division multiplexed version of weighted addition based on microrings can apply the strengths of photonic integration, wideband photonic information processing, and multiwavelength networks toward new approaches to ultrafast analog distributed processing. In this letter, we experimentally demonstrate single-channel functionality using a 5-GHz signal, showing a continuous range of complementary (+/-) weighting in a bank of silicon microrings using a feedforward controller and balanced detection technique. Weight tuning accuracy with a dynamic range of 9.2 dB (i.e., 3.1 bits) is shown, and steps to improve performance are discussed. Systems of more microring weights and weight banks could address hitherto unsolvable problems in real-time radio frequency processing and high-performance control.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number7377037
Pages (from-to)887-890
Number of pages4
JournalIEEE Photonics Technology Letters
Volume28
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 15 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Keywords

  • Photonic integrated circuits
  • microresonators
  • microwave photonics
  • neural network hardware
  • optical signal processing
  • silicon photonics

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